by Jo Ann "The Head Rat" Vicarel on March 13, 2010
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I have been reading a lot of Mystery Fiction set in various historical times and thought you all might be interested in some of the titles. There is such a rich variety that there should be something for every reader.
Beaufort, Simon, DEADLY INHERITANCE Sir Geoffrey Mappestone investigates in 1102 in the Welsh Marshlands
Clare, Alys MIST OVER THE WATER Healer Lassair looks for who tried to kill her cousin in Norman England
Dean, Anna BELLFIELD HALL Miss Dido Kent investigates crime in Regency England
Dickinson, David DEATH OF A WINE MERCHANT Lord Francis Powerscourt investigates murder in late Victorian England
Doherty, P. C. THE SPIES OF SOBECK Amerotke, Chief Judge for Pharaoh Hatusu investiges
Eccles, Marjorie LAST NOCTURNE Chief Inspector Lamb looks for a killer in 1009 London
Franklin, Ariana A MURDEROUS PROCESSION Doctor Adelia Aguila investigates murder for Henry II
Hambly, Barbara DEAD AND BURIED Benjamin January investigates why the wrong body falls out of a casket in 1836 New Orleans
Hayes, Tony THE DEVINE SACRIFICE Malgwyn ap Cuneglas investigates crime for King Arthur
Hermans, Danielle THE TULIP VIRUS a muder in 1636 Holland is similar to a murder in 2007 England
Pintoff, Stephanie A CURTAIN FALLS Detective Simon Ziele looks for a serial killer on Broadway in the early 20th Century
Reed, Mary and Eric Mayer EIGHT FOR ETERNITY John, Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian is commanded to find a murderer or else
Stanley, Kelli CITY OF DRAGONS Private Investigator Miranda Corbie wants justice for a murdered Japanese man in 1940 in San Francisco
Tallman, Shirley SCANDAL ON RINCON HILL Attorney Sarah Woolson defends a young man from China in 1881 San Francisco
Wishnia, Kenneth THE FIFTH SERVANT 16yh Century Prague and Jewish persecution and a young Jewish man who must find a killer in three days or else
Hope you find something great to read. I know that I love Historical novels.
by Jo Ann "The Head Rat" Vicarel on February 20, 2010
Dick Francis passed away on February 14th. He was 89. He wrote 43 Thrillers, the last three with his son, Felix. He won a number of awards and was Internationally recognized as a Master of his craft. Many of his books were set in the horse racing world, a sport he knew intimately.
Francis was a steeplechase rider and rode for the Queen Mother. In 1953-1954 he won 76% of 331 races ridden which was more than any other rider had won that year. In 1956 the horse he was riding came to a halt just before the finish line causing quite a sensation. He wrote his autobiography, THE SPORT OF QUEENS: The Autobiography of Dick Francis in 1957 as a direct result of that race.
When he needed money to pay for new carpeting in his house he decided to write a mystery novel using all of his experience in horse racing as the backdrop for the story. His first novel was DEAD CERT published in 1962. Everything he experienced in life he used with startling results in his books. He was nominated three times for an Edgar Award and won the Edgar three times. No other Mystery writer has done than, as far as I know. He won for FORFEIT (1968), WHIP HAND (1979) and COME TO GRIEF (1995), which also won the Gold Dagger Award. He won the Cartier Diamond dagger lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 for Britain’s Crime Writers association. In 1996 he was given the Mystery Writers Grandmaster Award. In 2000 he was awarded the Commander of the British Empire and in 2003 the Gumshoe Awards’ Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award. Did his peers like him? Yes, they did. He was even more popular with his hoards of fans.
Why did we like his books so much? For me it was the grip on reality that he had. Every protagonist he ever created had to face hard times or hardship or violence or something that altered his life or his course of action. They found themselves battered, chained to a water pipe, threatened and harmed in ways that only life and assorted villains can. They found the means to surmount their difficulties and sometimes even became heroes. Perhaps his number one fan was the Queen Mother who read his books, I am told, before being published, and wrote critiques.
His books are full of action and great characters. Most of them are set in the horse racing world. My all time favorite character is Sid Halley. He investigated in ODDS AGAINST (1965), WHIP HAND (1979) and COME TO GRIEF (1995). I also liked BANKER (1982) probably because Tim Ekaterin, the banker, was so lifelike and human.
If you have not read Francis please do. I always felt that he caught me up on the first page and kept me riveted until the end. He leaves behind a body of work that is so impressive. I like to learn something that is beyond my experience in books that I read. Dick Francis taught me about steeple-chasing, horse racing, the wine industry, writers, architects, painters, movie directors and so much more. The research that went into his work was done by his wife, I believe. She passed away in 2000.
How do we measure the success of a writer? Perhaps by the number of books written, the number of awards won, the number of good reviews received for the work. I think that it boils down to how the reader feels when the book is finished. I always felt that I had been in the hands of a Master storyteller when the last page was turned. Rest in peace, Mr. Francis. Your loyal fans will miss you and will reread your books forever.
